Villas-Boas saddened by McDermott sacking

McDermott was relieved of his duties by the club's owner Anton Zingarevich on Monday, just 33 days after winning January's manager of the month award.

And Villas-Boas clearly feels it was a harsh decision.

"(The sacking is) extremely disappointing. I think it was along the same lines of what happened to Nigel (Adkins) at Southampton," he told Sky Sports News.

"I think sometimes you are a victim of the success you have achieved. You do ever so well to put the club in the Premier League and then you pay a heavy price when you're not probably given the best conditions to succeed."

Villas-Boas was speaking from his experience of being sacked at Chelsea last season. The 35-year-old lasted just eight months in charge at Stamford Bridge before the notoriously impatient Roman Abramovich decided to replace him with Roberto Di Matteo.

Villas-Boas now hopes that McDermott can find his feet again, as he himself has done as Spurs.

"I think it's tremendously unfair. Obviously it's not my decision, not my responsibility, but it's something that happens in the game," he said.

"It happened to me before, I just hope that Brian is able to continue to show his qualities, because it was his quality that put Reading in the Premier League."